Hundreds of thousands of migrants from impoverished Myanmar are estimated to be working — many of them illegally — in more-developed Malaysia.

“Malaysia acknowledged the contribution of Myanmar labour force in Malaysia’s economic development and agreed to expand and improve the cooperation,” the Malaysian government said in a statement after the talks.

It will issue memorandum of understanding to formalise its intention to “safeguard the rights and interests of Myanmar workers in Malaysia”, the statement said.

It did not provide any further details.

The talks were held on the second day of Myanmar president’s two-day trip to Malaysia, his first state visit to the country.

Tens of thousands of workers in Malaysia are Muslim ethnic Rohingya who have fled what they describe as decades of oppression in majority-Buddhist Myanmar.

The Rohingya exodus has gained pace since Muslim-Buddhist bloodshed erupted in 2012 in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine.